“God’s Created Man – Chapter One”
God, the creator of all things is an eternal God who has no beginning, nor does He have an ending. By being the self-sufficient one, there came a time and season when, in His heart, He desired to bring forth a visible creation in which to place His intended soon coming created man. This created man was designed by God to be made in His likeness and image. This created man was created for being the expressed many membered family of God. A family in which God was to live and manifest Himself in and through. A created man who was to become many in number and purposed to establish a visible kingdom of God on His visible earth.
In God’s created earth, man would progressively mature into the fullness of God’s eternal purpose. This purpose was for the man to become fruitful and multiply, to replenish the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it. In this purpose, God would mature the man and his offspring into a people of like-kind nature with their creator God. This purpose, to be fulfilled through a seven-day plan, has now come to the time of the fullness of those seven days. Day six was for the creation of the man and with the 6000th year coming to an end, it is God’s designated time for the completing of His man. Remember, a day in the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day.
In this, we have a beginning in God as we read in Gen. 1:1-3, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was [became] without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, let there be light; and there was light”. When God declares His desire for there to be light, this is expressing His eternal desire for the manifesting of all His fullness. Therefore, He began by forming or fashioning that which He heart desired. The speaking forth of light speaks first to us of the illuminating power of God to enlighten creation to His will and purpose prior to bringing forth its manifestation. In this regard God spoke in Gen. 1:26, Then God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth”.
Here God speaks of His eternal plan and purpose, to bring forth a man, an order of people that would have dominion, under God, over every level of life as it is involved within His creation. Man was created to subdue and rule. This rulership also includes the aggressive fallen forces which began infringing upon creation itself. God continues fulfilling His thought processes as He spoke forth His purpose and the bringing forth of His spiritual man as spoken in Gen. 1:27, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”. Here the spiritual man of God’s creation was spoken forth to begin his journey, one that was to be finished as God processed man throughout the ages of time to finally bring forth a manifestation of God’s image.
This spiritual man, though still spiritual in his existence, continued in his manifestation from just an invisible spiritual man until he was placed into a formed body of the dust of the earth. Again, God speaks forth His desire as He forms from the dust of the earth, the body or tabernacle, for the spiritual man to dwell. Gen. 2:7, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”.
This dust formed man, breathed into by God’s life, His eternal invisible spiritual breath, now begins to live as Adam. He, becoming a spirit, soul and body man was now the visible creation of God. This is the results of God’s breath, His spirit, His life being breathed into Adam. Again, we declare God’s purpose, that man might begin the process of subduing the earth in every order of its existence and filling it with God’s nature. A nature which was to exercise itself in maturing into the place of having dominion over God’s creation. In obedience to God, the life of God was to now enable man to replenish the earth. Man’s ability to sustain his role as delegated ruler of the earth rest in his continued obedience to God’s rule as King of all. Man’s power to reign in life will extend only as far as his faithfulness to obey God’s governmental purpose.
We should know and understand that the perfect will of God, as the founding King of creation, is not manifested in the presence of death, disease, discord, and disaster. Is this not what we observe the world to be today? The present visible world does not reflect the Kingdom Order God originally intended. It does not reflect His Kingdom as it shall ultimately be experienced on earth. Therefore, as a potter, God continues in the formation of man and His purpose in creation. God’s intended purpose, though not complete, it is ever increasing as the seven-day plan of God has not faltered, but is on time, just as God planned. In the completion of the plan, God shall bring forth His purpose and will concerning the man. This man shall become the visible manifestation of the Father. Isa. 64:8 declares, “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and all we are the work of your hand”.
With God as our Father and to understand who we are to become, we must know who and what the Father is. In searching the scriptures, we will find that God is not only the creator, but He is eternal, He is the Son, the provider, the healer, the sanctifier and the peace giver. He also is the righteous one, the Most High, the Shepherd, our salvation, our power, the possessor of heaven and earth, the Almighty and all love. The list could go on and on. As being the eternal possessor of heaven, the spiritual realm, the one who created all things, we can have this confidence. That there is a record of heaven which abides in God and was also breathed into mankind individually and collectively, purposed to dwell within man’s soul. This record is that which makes up our mind, our will, our emotions and our desires.
1 John 5:7 and 11-13 shares with us, “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: The Father, the Word [Christ the Son], and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. … And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God”.
Eternal life, as used in the above scripture, denotes not only physical life, but Spiritual life that one can possess through faith in Jesus Christ. Eternal life refers not only to duration of life, but to equality of life. This includes the life of grace and the life of glory. But, mankind, in his present fallen condition, finds himself locked into a mortal, corruptible, carnal world. This condition has blinded man to his true self and his identity. This blinded condition means that man must awaken to his identity by knowing the record of heaven that is within him. Herein, fallen man needs to be awakened.
Isa. 52:1-2 states, “Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion [today’s dwelling place for Christ]; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean shall no longer come to you. Shake yourself from the dust, arise; sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck; O captive daughter of Zion”. Could it be, that Adam, in his fall in the garden of Eden, fell from that place of glory in God? Adam was now motivated by the blindness of the dust realm, the awakening in man of his natural and now carnal desires. This earthly mind-set, this fallen nature has been passed down from generation to generation as it makes man prisoner to a carnal mind-set of darkness instead of walking in the glory of God.
Fallen man, now unable to rule over God’s creation, why? Because man is now ruled over by the lust for this fallen world and self. That is, until he is brought to an encounter with God. This encounter, this awakening, when yielded unto, will enable man to walk a pathway that is chosen by God. But recognize, God’s chosen pathway is a way that is foreign to the natural man. For this cause the path becomes one that deals with every aspect and mind-set of fallen man’s nature. God’s pathway becomes a narrow way that the natural man does not desire to take. Matt. 7:13-14 declares, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it”.
But, thanks be to God because men can now be forgiven. They can forget the past that hindered them by focusing their eyes upon God’s divine goal. This divine goal puts man into a place of decision. As man receives revelation of his condition and who he can become in God, man can choose whom he will serve. This awakening power of God enables man to now see the life-style God has planned for Him. Instead of man’s goal being to gain earthly riches and fame, he can now choose to lay up riches of a heavenly nature. This life-style change can bring man into a relationship with the heavens while the ways of the earthy grows dim.
Zion is the type God uses to bring man’s attention to that glorious place wherein God desires to dwell. This speaks of God living in man who become His Zion. Jerusalem, a type God uses as a spiritual people, are to become the purified church, who are to be wedded to God in union of spirit. In this the whole man is to become one with Him. Let’s remember from which man fell. Zion is the place where God desires to dwell among man in His outshining victorious glory with Jerusalem being the dwelling place of His chosen bride. But, history reveals, along with God’s word, that Jerusalem had become an adulterous woman that now needs to be redeemed. In this redemption, God is calling forth His mighty men to come forth, to gain victory over all the enemies that motivate the fallen flesh man. God is sounding forth a call for the bride to purify herself that a union might take place in manifesting God’s glory in all the earth. In this, man is invited to lay up treasures, but not of the earth.
Matt. 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, there neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there you heart will be also”. The word of God also declares to us, that a double minded man is unstable. Declaring that the choices man makes will determine his life-style. In this, where do your priorities lie? Have you invited God into your life to bring about such a change as this? Man, with opportunity to dwell in the life of God, must choose who they desire to serve. Man cannot serve two masters. Man will walk in the light, the truth and revelation of God’s word or he will walk in darkness. Matt. 6:22-23, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good [clear or healthy, heavenly], your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad [evil, unhealthy, fallen nature], your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Remember, man cannot serve two masters. The things which this world offers are but temporal and shall pass away. But unto him that keeps his goals heavenly and his eye single, that one shall walk in the riches of the heavens. In this, man shall know the treasures of His inheritance. Thus, while man must keep his eye single, he must also abide in the singleness of his eye. John 15:3-8 speaks on this wise, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me, and my Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit. So, you will be my disciples”.
Disciples are learners of Christ. They are learners purposed to know and become the visible manifestation of that which Christ is. The key to success is to abide in Him who is the vine. To attach yourself to Him is such a way likens you to the branch and the vine. His life then flows in you in such a way that fruit begins to appear on the branch, the vessel. This fruit begins to manifest a nature that has no part concerning fallen man. These are those who bear fruit of a heavenly nature, as God writes His nature in your heart, your soul. In abiding in Him, He reveals, by His spirit, the record of heaven from within the man. This means that when Christ manifested nature is seen by the receiving vessel the man becomes the expression of that which is seen. That which man was in God from the beginning, redeemed man shall manifest in the end, for God has purposed it to be so. God’s created man is coming forth. A time for manifesting is come. A new man is being birthed.
Duane Stewart
https://voiceforgatheringsaints.wordpress.com/